The Little Mermaid: Harry's Beginning
by The Ravenclaw-ish Slytherin
Summary: "What have I done?" he asked softly, his eyes moving to look at Hermione, who cast a look at the music box before looking back at the king, "Endless sky...Waves try to measure The days that we treasure."
1. Disclaimer

**The Little Mermaid (Harry Potter edition)**

I have only ever seen the Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning a couple of times so I have changed things around to too fit how I want it to be, but is that not what fanfiction is all about?

_Ariel's Beginning_

Princess Ariel - Harry Potter

King Triton - James Potter

Queen Athena - Lily Potter

Princess Attina - Pansy Parkinson

Princess Alana - Penelope Clearwater

Princess Aquata - Padma Patil

Princess Arista - Parvati Patil

Princess Adella - Ginevra Weasley

Princess Andrina - Luna Lovegood

Marian Del Rey - Salazar Slytherin

Sebastian - Hermione Granger = the crab

Flounder - Ronald Weasley = the fish

Shelbow - Gregory Goyle = the sea turtle

Ink Spot - Neville Longbottom = octopus

Swifty - Colin Creevey = the shrimp

Benjamin - Severus Snape = the manatee

Cheeks - Denis Creevey = the blowfish

RayRay - Seamus Finnigan = the manta ray

**DISCLAIMER: I **_**do not**_** own the Harry Potter series / characters nor do I own the Little Mermaid Ariel's Beginning. Those are the property of J.K. Rowling and Disney respectively. I make no money from these stories; they are for entertainment purposes only.**

**WARNING**_:_ Slash = Two guys together

Spoilers = Tells what happens, reveals things, from the three Little Mermaid stories.


	2. Chapter 1

**The Little Mermaid: Harry's Beginning**

**Chapter One**

The sun was high in the sky, reflecting off of the bright blue water below, just under the surface something could be seen swimming. It was bigger than a fish, yet it had the fins of one. There was more than one of them and each had a set of different colored fins. Some of them were red, others green, more blue, and still more were orange or yellow or pink or purple. So many colors all together, swimming around, laughter filling the air these creatures were mer-people. They lived deep, deep under the ocean in a city called Atlantica.

"_The world above is a wonderful place, but everyone knows the true magic lies under the sea. Where the water is clear and the fish swim free and the mer-people live in the beautiful city of Atlantica,_" a feminine voice explained, seemingly from nowhere.

The figures, now known as mer-people, jumped from the water, like dolphins, laughing and giggling and in Atlantica they swam around playing tag and playing their music.

"_King James ruled the seas with a fair hand_..." the voice continued to explain as a merman with teal colored finds, dark black hair, and hazel eyes swam out of a huge castle made out of shells, marble, and other items found in the ocean.

"_Yoo-hoo!_" a chubby, older lady called towards the king, gaining his attention and smiling and waving like a silly school girl.

"You're very kind," the king murmured, a small blush coloring his cheeks.

A sudden blur of emerald green, pale ivory, and midnight black shot at the king and hit him in the chest. Small, ivory colored arms wrapped around his neck as the thing that had hit him giggled and glanced back the way it had come before looking up at the king and giggling again.

"Harry," the man said with a small smile towards his only son.

"..._and an open heart,_" the voice finished.

A sudden loud, out of tune note filled the air of the court yard, causing everyone to stop and look towards the source of the noise. A merman, of only about twenty floated there, holding a horn in his hand. James began to laugh and soon everyone joined in, finding it funny how that man had done that.

"_Oh, mon. No one loved music more than James' beloved queen, Lily. She and their seven darling children filled his life with joy and song._"

The room was more like a cave with a window. The walls and floors were both made of stone and a cold, unforgiving color of gray. Seven clam shells were organized around the room and made into beds for the seven royal children. Seven pairs of eyes stared at the couple in the doorway. A woman with long, fiery red hair; sparkling emerald green eyes; and red fins and King James stood there, smiling softly at the children.

"_Oh, the waves roll low_

_And the waves roll high_

_And so it goes_

_Under a bright blue_

_Endless sky_

_Waves try to measure_

_The days that we treasure_

_Wave hello_

_And wave goodbye_," Queen Lily sang softly as she watched her children before whispering a quiet 'good night' and leaving the room with her husband in tow.

"_Ah, yes. The king loved his queen, and he took every opportunity to show her."_

The mer-people surrounded a small lagoon, hidden from view of passing boats. The princesses and prince of Atlantica were playing around, swimming, giggling, laughing, and splashing. You name it they were doing it. The king and queen sat on a sun warmed rock, smiling softly at each other before the king pulled out a small music box. It was a simple thing, nothing fancy. Small, round, baby blue and pink with silver trimming and designs of the world above.

Engraved on the side was _Lily, love of my life_. The queen grinned as she gently took the box and opened it. A small image of the two appeared, dancing to what had been dubbed Lily's song, the one that she always sang to her children before they went to sleep at night.

"_Oh, mon! It was a magical time! The pure joy of song filled life in Atlantica. But even the brightest days can be darkened by an unseen tempest__..._" the voice started out loud and happy, but slowly decrescendo-ed in volume until it was but a soft, eerily whisper.

King James looked over with wide eyes as the bright, clear sky suddenly became clouded and gray. Lightning flash around and thunder boomed as the pirate ship came around the bend. The mer-people began to hurry away, deep into the ocean to hide from the crazy men that leaned over the side of the boat. Nets, wires, and hooks all at the ready to snag whatever sea living thing they could get. The young prince and princesses squealed as the boat got closer and King James immediately dove from his spot and grabbed his children, taking them deep into the water so that they would be safe.

His eyes moved from one small form to another and then to the mer-people, the people who trusted him to look out for them, the people that he ruled over. He took in the scared eyes and faces, the way the mothers hugged their children to their breasts, the way husbands hugged their families and tried to comfort them. Then, he looked at his own family and felt relief wash over him, until he noticed that he was one child and wife short. Hazel eyes searched frantically through the vast openness of the sea before flying to look up at the land above.

He could see the two of them, side by side, Lily holding the little boy to her chest as the ship got closer and closer to them. Fear gripped the man's heart as he watched his wife shove their only son away and quickly swam back up, grabbing his fins and jerking him down. The little boy hit his head, hard, on the rocks surrounding them and fell into unconsciousness. James watched in horror as his wife disappeared with the ship as it crashed against the rocks. He had no idea if she had died with the pirates or if she was just lost somewhere, no memory.

His eyes spotted the music box and, holding his unconscious child close, he picked it up, listening to the melody before becoming angry. Growling in hurt and anger the merman chunked it out, far into the sea.

"_Somewhere in the chaos Queen Lily was lost to us,_" the voice whispered sadly, "_Each note of that lovely melody seemed to deepen the king's anguish. He could not bear to hear it."_

The man glared at the child he held in his arms, it was his fault that his precious wife and unborn child were dead, his fault that he would never get to hold either of them. Shaking his head, the merman tried to put such thoughts out of his mind. It was no one's fault that the queen and unborn princess were dead, no one's fault, except those terrible humans and the damn music. It was the music's fault for distracting him from his duty to protect his wife and family!

Stuck in his belief the king swam over to his son and checked him over before taking everyone back to Atlantica.

"_From that moment on, the king's heart stayed dark. And music was banned from Atlantica...forever,_" the voice remarked, "_Ten years later, Atlantica looked the same, but I can't say that about...everything..."_

"Time to rise girls," a male voice ordered as the seaweed hanging as the door was shoved aside. It revealed a tall merman, almost as tall as King James, with light green fins, long silver hair, and brown eyes floating there, arms folded across his wide chest. He was glaring at the sleeping figures of the royal children.

They all groaned and flipped over in bed, covering their heads with pillows. The youngest child, a merboy of only fourteen groaned, rolled onto his back and pulled the pillow over his face while angrily muttering, "Governess."

The governess glared at the seven of them before swimming over to the first princess and jerked the pillow out of her grip. "Hey!" she shouted indignantly.

"Get up," the man repeated.

"Why so early?" one of the younger ones inquired, her dark hair flying into her face when she sat up to look at the man.

"You can't be late in meeting up with your father," was the merman's only reply.

A different princess sat up, this one with the same dark hair as the other, "But it's still dark out," she complained, forgetting that she had a put a small mask on her face the night before.

Another merman, this one having entered at the same time as the first and a helper to the governess, swam over and jerked the thing from the girl's face before handing it back to her. "Oh. Hi." she exclaimed with an embarrassed smile.

A different princess, this one with a dark red hair buried her face into her pillow. "Oh, I was dreaming about a boy," she whimpered.

"Yes, yes, come on girls," the merman sighed in annoyance.

"But I need my beauty sleep," another girl with dark hair whined.

"Tell me about it," the last girl, this one with blonde hair, agreed leaning over to look at her sister.

"Easy for you, No one cares what you look like, but I..." the girl whined again, only to be cut off by their governess.

"Move it!" he finally snapped at them.

"Can't we meet Father later?" the first female inquired.

"Unfortunately I don't get to make those kinds of decisions," the man chuckled, then allowed them to trail off and scratched his chin, "Any decisions really."

All seven of King James children yawned, his only son having fallen back asleep during their governess'..._chat_ with his sisters. The man's eyes narrowed at seeing the sleeping prince and six almost sleeping princesses.

"GET UP!" he shouted, startling the females and causing the prince to open one eye to look at him.

Sighing, the girls got out of bed, mumbling something about having heard him and that they were going as fast as they could. His eyes moved back to the prince, who had turned over on his side and drifted off back to sleep. How he hated that boy. Always acting so spoiled and getting into trouble. He should be learning to be a leader because he was the one meant to take over the thrown, but no he had to go off acting like a...a trouble maker or something. Keeping quiet the man floated over to the smallest teen's bed and tipped it so that he slid out onto the floor. The dark haired boy let out a squeak of surprise before glaring up through his bangs at the man.

"Alright, Move your tails. This is our special time with your father," he told the, acting as if he had not just tossed the teen out of his bed.

Snorting, the prince pushed himself up and sat on the ledge that surrounded their 'window.'

"Special? There's nothing special about it. It's the same every damn morning," Harry, the prince, stated as if commenting on the weather.

The blonde haired princess, Luna, paused in putting on her lipstick and blinked before looking over and nodded. "He's got a good point."

Sighing in irritation, the man, Salazar, shook his head. "That's what your father cares about. Predictability, presentation, punctuality." He waved his hand to emphasize his point.

Glancing down at the brush that Salazar had placed in his hands the boy whispered, "That's all he cares about."

Again, Luna nodded and repeated, "He's got a point."

One of the dark haired princesses, Padma, glared at the blonde and shoved her out of the way. "You've got your own mirror!"

Severus, the merman from before, popped his head into the room and muttered two minutes, which set Salazar off and he started snapping to them about primping. They looked at him for a moment before turning back to get ready and began talking about things that had happened the day before and after they finished their duties.

"Come on, Harry," the eldest princess, Pansy, swam over to her baby brother and gently took the brush from his hands before starting to brush his long, silky black hair.

"Why can't he let us do something different for a change? Just one time I wish we could do something other than go on stupid walks," he whispered, tears burning his eyes, but the teen held the back and looking at his older sister imploringly.

Smiling softly the older, dark haired girl finished brushing her brother's hair and looked at him. "Give him a break Har. He's the king, remember? You try running a king-" she allowed her words to trail off, remembering that the person she was talking to would one day be running the kingdom.

Emerald eyes, so like their mother's, narrowed in anger at the words and he shot up to turn and glare down at the eldest princess. "I won't run it like this!" he snarled, "I won't make my children so damned unhappy that they never want to be around me!"

Sighing softly, the older shook her head and slowly got up before heading back over to the mirror, "Don't upset him, Harry."

Still glaring, Harry looked over at his sister. "Just because you're the oldest, Pansy, doesn't mean you get to boss us around."

Laughing and shooting a small smirk over her shoulder at her brother she placed the brush down. "Yes, it does."

"Severus," Salazar hissed as he waited for the royals to finish getting ready, "if we are late again, I will _never_ get a promotion."

"Salazar," the dark haired merman whispered as he spotted their charges coming their way.

"Come on, girls...and Harry," Pansy stated, shooting a grin over at her brother.

The other six muttered agreement and followed after their sister and towards their father, giving Salazar weird looks as he started rambling about loving his job and how looking after them is what he lived for. As soon as Harry was out the door he looked at Severus and growled, "I hate this job!"

The dark haired merman could understand, but made sure to mention that the less he said about the matter was better. They did not want the king getting the wrong idea about them.

The seahorses were whining and panting as King James sat on his throne, waiting for his children to arrive for their morning walk. Just then a small seashell, attached to two seahorses came soaring into the room."Woah! Woah!" a female voice shouted as seahorses came to a stop and a small, red crab shoved itself up correctly, turning the seashell right and looking at the king with a smile.

"Good morning, Your Highness," the crab greeted.

"Hermione," the king gave a small nod in reply to the crab, "anything to report?"

The crab, Hermione, cleared her throat delicately and parked her little make shift ride and climbed up to sit on the armrest of the king's throne. "Unfortunately, the sprat and the..." she shrieked as she almost slipped, "smelt were still squabbling. No worries though, I told them I'd sic the salmon on them."

The king chuckled and nodded. "Hermione, what would I do without you?"

Grinning to herself the crab replied with a, "You'd be out negotiatin' with the sprat and the smelt, that's what."

In the distance you could hear the princesses and prince chattering about something, and slowly getting closer to the throne room.

As they entered the room, Pansy made shh-ing noises until they were all situated in the right order, hands clasped behind their back.

"Good morning, girls, Harry," the man greeted.

Bowing slightly at the waist they all returned the greeting before straightening up. "Salazar," the man stated monotone.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," the man greeted, going into a low bow at the waist.

Hermione cleared her throat and gave the governess a pointed look. "Hermione."

"You're late," the crab pointed out.

"I...that is to say...uh..." Salazar chuckled before letting out a quiet groan when he realized that he had no excuse.

"Well, I presume you've all been attending to your royal duties this week," James remarked, eyebrow rose towards his only son.

"Yes, Father. We've been working diligently," Pansy spoke up for her brother, knowing that he would say something to upset their father if he were allowed to answer.

"We're always done early," Harry informed his father anyway.

Narrowing her eyes, Pansy shushed her brother, but he ignored her in favor of moving towards the front. "And the coral is in bloom," he continued.

"Clam it!" one of his sisters hissed.

"Enough Harry!" another snarled.

Ignoring them all he continued as if he had not been interrupted. "So I thought...maybe we could go for a swim on the reef?" he looked up at his father with puppy dog eyes, knowing that it would usually work on whoever he decided to use it on since he still looked so innocent.

Not even taking time to think about his son's offer, not realizing what the teen was trying to do he turned it down. Still, the teen tried. "But it only happens once a year. It could be fun."

"I don't have the time."

Steeling himself for what he was about to say the dark haired boy took a deep breath and pressed forward. "I was thinking we could just...skip the morning walk," he suggested.

"Harry!" Hermione snapped, "Your father said no."

Sighing in defeat, the teen allowed his head to hang, dark hair covering his eyes from view and whispered a quiet 'yes sir' before moving back to his place at the back of the line. The girls all made comments about how their brother had upset their father, again as he got into his place and as their father rose from his seat and headed out of the room.

"Let's move it!" Salazar snapped as he swam past the teens.

"Ok, we're coming."

"Time to go."

"Great."

"Here they come!" a bronze haired, hazel eyed merman exclaimed as he hurried over to the other side of the street to stand with a blonde haired, brown eyed woman.

Harry followed behind his family, sighing every so often as he allowed his hand to trail over some seaweed, pulling one out of the ground as he did so. Up ahead of him Ginevra, better known as Ginny, was waving and smiling at a boy off to the side. Grinning as a thought came to him, Harry snuck up behind his sister and tickled her with the seaweed in his hand, causing the girl to shriek and move away from him. The younger teen laughed, clutching his sides as he watched the boy off to the side make a funny face at his sister's reaction.

"That's it," the red head snarled as she took off after her baby brother. The two of them played a game of chase, using seaweed as a weapon to tickle each as they did so. At one point, Ginny was able to get the item from her brother and chased him around, through the others and around the buildings.

"Your Majesty," Hermione stated, getting the king's attention," I was thinking about making some changes in the palace staff."

"Huh?" Salazar's eyes widened as the words left the crab's mouth.

"Really?" James inquired as they came to a stop outside of another building.

"Got it!"

"Watch it!"

"Careful!"

The girls exclaimed as they were knocked over by Harry and Ginevra. They were smiling softly and giggling at what had happened. "Get up!" Salazar hissed when he turned around and saw them piled on the ground. Laughing, they looked at each other muttering things like 'cuckoo' and rolling their eyes at their governess.

"That will be all, Hermione, Salazar. Good day, girls," James dismissed them and everyone took off as quickly as they could, until James' words stopped some of them, "Harry."

Groaning under his breath Harry stopped and turned back to face his father, hands clasped behind his back and head hung. "Yes, Daddy?" he inquired, looking at the man through his bangs.

Padma and Parvati whispered about James seeing angrier than usual and that it was time to go. James arms were crossed over his wide chest as he stared down at his small son, who looked so sad and innocent.

"A prince does not tickle a princess with seaweed," he scolded with a stern look, refusing to crack under the puppy dog eyes his son was giving him.

"You saw that?" Harry whispered embarrassedly, "I was just trying to have some fun."

"You disrupted your sisters," James told him monotone.

He did not have a reply to that other than the fact that the older six had laughed.

"Well, I didn't," James snapped.

"Daddy, why can't..." Harry tried, only to be interrupted.

"Is it too much to ask that you simply walk with your family?" James inquired annoyance and irritation lacing his tone.

Harry was fed up with all of this. Glaring his eyes he stared up at his father, fists clenched at his sides. "That's all we ever do!"

"Harry."

"Can't we do something different?" the teen pleaded.

"Enough!" James thundered, drawing the attention of some nearby mer-people,"You have to learn to respect the way I run this kingdom!"

His lips pulled back in a snarl as his fists tightened.

"Barnacles," James ordered, holding out a small scoop used to pry them off.

The small teen was shocked out of his anger before frowning. "That'll take all day," he argued.

"Well, then you'd better get started, young man."

Snatching the item out of his father's hand the teen turned and swam off. "I hate this place," he snarled as he left.


	3. Chapter 2

**The Little Mermaid: Harry's Beginning**

**Chapter Two**

Severus starred at the small bits of meat lying on the table before using a stick and stabbing them all. He then swam over to a cage in the ground and stuck the stick through, not expecting the creatures inside to actually eat the stick, too."Snacky-snack," he muttered as the animals growled at him. The dark haired man turned as Salazar entered the room.

"This job is killing me!" the older man shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Oh, dear," Sev muttered as he made his way over to the other man, trying to help him calm down. It was never a good idea for the man to get very worked up.

"If I have to watch those spoiled brats _one more day_, I'm gonna beach myself."

"Mm-hmm," Severus hummed, not believing for a minute that the older man would do such a thing to himself.

"You should've heard that little clawgirl, Hermione, today, 'you're late,'" the man snapped gibbering about something or other before speaking again, "If James wasn't looking, I would have squashed that crustacean into a crab cake!"

_'Just agree and maybe he'll calm down,'_ Severus thought as he 'mm-hmm'-ed again. Salazar took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Maybe I'm just too sensitive?" he inquired.

"It's possible," Sev agreed as he finished with the nails he was filing.

Sal cast a glance over at the cage and inquired about if they had been fed that day. "Yes, twice," the younger mer-man replied.

"And the key?" he asked. Severus motioned to a small, golden key sitting on his chest.

For a few minutes all was quiet, except for Severus working on the man's nails. Suddenly, Sal pulled away from Sev and gripped his hair. "Ooh! That Hermione! I despise her! I loathe her!"

Severus rolled his eyes muttering something about never having heard that before as he listened to Salazar continued to rant. "How did that little invertebrate get to be chief of staff?"

"Chutpah?" Sev suggested.

"I want that job. I deserve that job!" Salazar continued, "So what if I'm late every once in a while and the girls are miserable?"

"Nobody's perfect," Sev agreed.

"That's right. Nobody's...perfect," Sal said, a thought coming to him as he said those words, "Everyone makes mistakes, even...her!"

Yes, the thought was brilliant. All he had to do was watch the crab closely and find a mistake...one big enough to make her lose her job and then he would be there to take it.

"_Severus_

_I need to find a clue_

_To get myself Hermione's job_

_To stage a little coup_

_A strew to break the camel's back_

_A teeny dent, a tiny crack_

_A quiver or a quake_

_What I need is one mistake_

_Just one mistake_

_Hermione_

_Oh, better be on her guard_

_'Cause I have some electric chums,"_

He sung as he moved over to the cage and ran his finger over it, causing it to spark.

_"And they'll be looking very hard_

_A straw to break Hermione's back_

_A teeny dent, a tiny crack_

_A downy double take_

_What I need is one mistake_

_Just one mistake_

_Then..."_

He moved over to his closet and began to go through it, as if looking for one thing imparticular.

_"Hello, world_

_It's Salazar Slytherin_

_I'm the new attaché_

_Or maybe more_

_Oh, I want so much more_

_Hello world_

_I'm the belle of the ball"_

"You do know that you are referring to yourself as a girl...right?" Sev inquired as the other merman sang.

_"I'm the greatest of all_

_The loyal royal big shots_

_Work it, Sal_

_Pouty, sassy"_

As he sang he pulled on different outfits as if showing the off, with Severus standing off to the side watching a bit creped out by the older man's actions, repeating words or adding them in as they were said.

_"From the engine to the chassis_

_Got to, got to_

_Get it, get it_

_Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta_

_Gotta, gotta have it"_

He was finally starting to lose it, making Sev back up a little as he continued to watch this odd sing and dance combo. Salazar slowed down his singing as he came to the end of his song.

_"A straw to break the camel's back_

_A teeny dent, a tiny crack_

_A mini mighty break_

_What I need is one mistake_

_And after that, who knows?"_

Salazar slipped down into his chair and put his fins up as he stared at a bowl of water. "Hermione's bound to make a mistake...right?"

Shaking his head Sev answered what they both already knew. Hermione the crab was about as bound to make a mistake as the girls were to be up on time to meet their father. Sighing, he glared into space.

Out with the coral tubes and where the barnacles could be found Harry could be found straining to get them off. Finally, after what felt like hours he was able to get one off before looking at the almost never ending line in front of him. Why did it seem that his father hated him? Had he done something wrong in the past and this was a punishment for it? Exhaling and blowing hair out of his face the teen moved in to start on his job.

A ways down from where the prince was working on his punishment a small clown fish was swimming around, checking around corners and behind stones to make sure no one else was around. After confirming that there was no one else around he started dancing around, making the coral tubes sound. "Live from The Catfish Club, it's...Ronald!"

He imitated cheering from an audience and screaming things like 'we love you, Ronald' quietly so that no one would hear him. From there the fish began to act out different musical things, from the electric guitar to just making the tubes play.

Meanwhile, Harry was working as hard as he could to finish his job, but the sounds of the coral tube made him stop and look around in confusion before continuing about his business. More noise, someone shouting, and the coral tubes caught his attention causing the fourteen year old to stop working altogether and look for the source.

He found what he was looking for to be a clownfish playing on the tubes and talking to himself. Grinning, he soared over and stopped right in front of him. "Hey!" he exclaimed, startling the fish and making him scream.

"Was that...what I think it was?" Harry asked excitement in his face and voice.

Ronald's eyes were wide before he shook his head no. "Nope," he exclaimed, pulling his fins away and causing the water's bubbling melody, "Whoops."

"That," Harry stated.

"What?" the fish frowned.

"That sound!" Harry stated again, pointing towards it this time.

"Oh, that sound," Ron laughed nervously, "I was just..." he laughed again, not sure what to say, "cleaning out these...uh...But then you...Hey! And then I..." he began to wheeze, trying to stop from panicking, "And then the thingamajiggers just boppity boop, bop, bap!" He grinned, hoping the merman would fall for it.

"Can you," Harry hesitated, "do it again?"

"Halt! You're in violation of the Triton Acts!" two voices said and all of a sudden two swordfish were pointed at Ron. Harry's eyes widened as the fish threw his fins in the air, "All music is forbidden in the kingdom!"

"Not good," Ron whimpered, "Swim!"

He grabbed Harry's hand and took off towards the kelp forest, dragging the poor prince along with him.

"Hey, get back here!" the two guards shouted, taking chase.

"Faster," Ron shouted as he dove over rocks with the prince not far behind. He spotted a place not far ahead full of what looked like dead trees or something with a lot of branches and took off into that screaming, "Corkscrew!"

He twisted and turned, moving easily through the bramble and after a moment's hesitation the prince followed after, doing the same maneuvers, just a little scared that he was going to hurt himself, but once he got the hang of it he found that it was a lot of fun.

"Torpedo tube!" Ron screamed as he shot off into a cave, diving deeply and aiming to go out a small hole big enough for him to fit. What he had not expected was to get stuck...again. "Not again," he whimpered, the sounds of the guards getting closer by the second.

"Fish launch!" Harry screamed as he moved backwards and hit the fish in the rear with his own fins, sending him flying out before taking a bigger hole out. "Thanks," Ron said as they took off.

"My name's Ron," the fish told him as they headed back towards Atlantica.

"I'm Harry," the dark haired merman introduced himself before looking ahead at the gate and squeaking when he saw Hermione standing there. "Uh-oh," he whispered as he came to a stop, dark hair flying over his head and landing on the crab.

"Prince Harry! What is the meaning of this!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Prince?" Ron asked, shaking the dark hair he was hiding in out of his face.

"Uhm...we weren't doing anything," Harry tried to reason with the crab.

"No?" Hermione inquired, "Then what were you running from?"

"Cause they were chasin' us?" Ron suggested before the swordfish caught up and told about having heard music.

Hermione shrieked, eyes flying over to the prince. "The prince was making music?" she whimpered.

"No, the prince wasn't. The fish was," the guard told her.

"Music is against the law! Take him to the dungeon!" Hermione cried turning away, but Harry was not going to stand for that. He thought it was a stupid law anyway and was not going to let his new friend go to the dungeons for something as silly as making music.

"No, this is all a big misunderstanding," he told them, "see...my friend here was just helping me...uh...clean out the coral tubes and we can't be blamed for the fact that they tend to harmonize and such when cleaned...can we?"

A small sheepish smile that gave off nothing but the truth and puppy dog eyes had Hermione ordering him to be escorted back to the castle and giving Ron a warning. The prince watched the ground sadly as he was led away by the guards and back to the castle.

That night Harry sat, like always, on the sill that looked out on the kingdom. His arms were folded across his small chest and his fin bent, like a human's knees when they pulled them to their chest. He was staring out the window, listening to his sisters babbling about different things.

"If I change my hair, do ya think he'd notice?" Ginevra asked.

"Where's my brush? My brush works better," Padma complained.

"OK, bedtime. Outta my way. Don't look now, but dinner exploded on your face," Luna told Parvati.

"It's plankton extract and sea salt," the dark haired girl told her blonde sibling.

"Pretty," the blonde replied sarcastically.

"It rejuvenates the skin and it won't clog your pores."

"Whatever!" Luna muttered, covering her nose from the smell, "It's your face."

"'Scuse me," Penelope stated as she moved by Padma.

Padma moved over and looked at the mask that Penelope was wearing, hands on her hips. "Uh, is that my mask?"

"Nope."

"It's got my initial on it," Padma complained as she took it off her sister.

"Four of our names start with 'P,' Padma," Pansy stated as she brushed through her hair. In response to this both she and Parvati raised something they owned up with their initial on it.

The girl ignored the rest of them and started digging through the things that her sister had, pulling out her brush, her lucky seashells, and . All of which Penelope had a response for when it was shown. The two began a tug of war over Padma's pillow, arguing on the fact that the other was always taking her things...was it any wonder he was glad to be a boy and why he was gay?

"Shh! Shh! He's coming!" Luna hissed as she heard their father entering.

The two girls stopped fighting and Harry's attention moved to stare out the window.

"Good evening, girls, son," James greeted his children, a slightly sad look on his face.

"Father," they all stated, bowing slightly, except for Harry.

"Sleep well," James told them.

"Good night, Father," the girls replied.

His eyes stayed locked on his only son, waiting for him to return the words before quietly calling out his name. "Harry?"

The teen turned his back to his father, arms still crossed and a sad look on his face as he stared out at the night. The older merman let out a sigh as he left the room. Once their father was gone Pansy looked over at her brother. "Why did you do that?"

Disappointment was clear in her voice as she spoke and it tore at the boy's heart to know that even if he did tell her she would never understand. None of them could ever understand the fact that their father put so much pressure on him because he was the only boy, the fact that he had to grow up in a room full of females. The fact that his only male role model refused to spend time with him other than a morning walk that lasted all of five minutes and then expected him to be so...so...oh he did not even know what his father expected anymore.

Sighing quietly the boy turned his back on his sister as well, ignoring each of them as they crawled into bed and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 3

**The Little Mermaid: Harry's Beginning**

**Chapter Three**

He sat there, starring out into the vastness that was the ocean, wishing that someone would be able to understand him. He picked a flower from the many that decorated the outside of the wall and took a deep whiff of its scent before letting it go out into the openness, allowing it the freedom that he wished to possess. His eyes were starting to fall closed when a sudden movement caught his attention. Frowning, he leaned in closer to see Ron moving quickly in the shadows, watching to make sure the guards were nowhere to be seen before hurrying on his way. Curiously, Harry slipped out of his room, casting one more glance towards his sisters, before following after the fish.

The dark haired merman was confused as the fish went through the kelp forest, stopping only long enough to whistle, before following a path that the teen could not see. For a small period of time he had to fight his way through the kelp, until he saw Ron below. He followed after and hid behind a rock as the fish stopped at a rock wall, tapping something and the prince watched as the rocks parted to allow him entrance. In awe the prince swam over and repeated what he had just heard before following him into the cave. He watched from inside the cave as Ron stopped at another wall and began whispering things that he could not hear from that distance.

Shock dominated his face as the rock once again slid out of the way and allowed Ron inside before opening again and tossing another fish out. Harry watched as the fish tried to beg his way back in before it started heading his way and he backed up away, further into the shadows to keep hidden, when suddenly he was grabbed and swallowed by some plants inside the cave. The fourteen year old let out a gasp as he fell into the place he wanted to be and was shocked to see and hear so much music being played.

Sea creatures of all kinds danced around, some playing instruments, some dancing, some singing. He could not remember the last time he saw anything in the ocean having such a good time.

_"Shake, shake, shake, Senora_

_Shake your body line_

_Shake, shake, shake, Senora_

_Shake it all the time_

_Work, work, work, Senora_

_Work your body line_

_Work, work, work, Senora_

_Work it all the time"_

Harry watched taking it all in so that he could remember this when he had to go back to the palace. He was in awe, amazed at everything and when he saw Ron he called the fish over, laughing when the other male tried to make him hide. He pushed the fish out of his face in time to see Hermione appear, sliding down onto the stage and it terrified him to think he had been caught, until the crab started to sing.

_"My girl's name is Senora_

_I tell you, friends, I adore her,"_

"Hermione?" Harry whispered, glancing over at Ron with wide eyes and a confused look that just made him seem all the more innocent.

_"And when she dances, oh brother!_

_She's a hurricane in all kinds of weather_

_Jump in the line_

_Rock your body in time_

_OK, I believe you!_

_Jump in the line"_

Ron smirked and nodded. "Hermione," before reaching over and closing the mer-boy's mouth for him.

_"Rock your body in time_

_Oh, oh, oh_

_Shake, shake, shake, Senora_

_Shake your body line_

_Work, work, work, Senora_

_Work it all the time_

_Jump in the line_

_Rock your body in time_

_Jump in the line_

_Rock your body in time_

"Rock your body, Child!"

_"Jump in the line_

_Rock your body in..."_

The entire song cut off, the sea creatures stopped dancing, the musicians stopped playing, the people passing out food and drink stopped serving and everything came to a standstill as Hermione and Harry stared at each other before Neville, the octopus got nervous and took off, trailing ink around the place, covering up as everyone seemed to flee from the club. Harry tried to get them to stop by telling them that he would never tell and that he thought the place was amazing, anything to make them stay, but it did not work.

He floated on the stage, upset that they had all left like they did and began to swim back, when his fin hit one of the stringed instruments lying on the ground and made a twang. Blinking, he turned around and did it again before giggling softly to himself and reaching over to the drums and hitting them a couple of times. The fourteen year old made his way through the instruments before stopping at the piano. That had always been his instrument. The one he loved to play.

_"La, la, la, la, la_

_La, la, la, la_

_Under the bright blue_

_Endless Sky"_

Harry sang softly to himself as he pressed certain notes on the piano. Thoughts were coming back to him, memories that he had forgotten after ten years. He could not place how he knew them, but he did.

_"Wait, I remember that_

_How I know that song"_

He moved from the piano to sit on the edge of the stage, reliving the memories that came with the return of music.

_"I remember sitting in the moonlight_

_And the feeling_

_What's that feeling?"_

He looked at Ron as the fish came out of hiding and floated next to him as he sang.

_"I remember, yes,_

_How I know that song_

_Though it's been so long"_

He moved himself from the edge of the stage to higher up and as he continued to sing the sea creatures came out to join in with him, harmonizing with his slightly feminine tone. He danced with Ron as he sang.

_"I remember happiness_

_Without a floor or ceiling_

_What's that feeling?_

_I remember_

_La, la, la, la, la, la, la_

_La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la_

_**La, la, la, la, la, la, la**_

_Laa..."_

Some of the creatures came out to sing with him.

"La, la, la, la, la, la, la

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Laa...La, la"

Then all of them came out to sing with him, adding musical sounds to go with the words.

_"Oh! I remember her_

_And how we were_

_I remember wanting_

_What the evening would be bringing_

_I remember singing_

_Under the bright blue_

_Endless sky"_

He slowed down the pace of the song, looking at Ron with a soft look, like his mother used to give him, lifting a hand to touch the fish.

_"Waves try to measure the day_

_The days that we treasure_

_And I_

_I remember music"_

He began to pick up the pace of the song as he sang.

_"And I'm never going back_

_To the silent law they wrote_

_I will sing in every tempo_

_Every last chromatic note_

_For I, I remember her_

_I remember music_

_And I remember_

_Love"_

He sang holding out the word as Hermione came over talking about this not happening. Grinning Harry leaned forward to finish his song.

_"Loveeee."_

Sighing, Hermione called Colin over. A small shrimp came over raising his right hand.

"Do you promise to jump, jive, wail, groove, rock steady, and at all times lend a helping hand to your fellow music lovers?" the shrimp asked.

"Yes," Harry agreed immediately.

"He's in."

The next day Hermione entered the throne room, bowing low to the king as she greeted him. She was a bit surprised when Salazar was greeted as well and listened to the king's words, starting to become nervous when he mentioned that he had a problem with his only son.

"Finally!" Salazar exclaimed, "You see it too! He's rebellious, insubordinate, headstrong. We need to immediately implement a series of checks and balances designed to crush his spirit."

He looked up at the king and stopped, blinked, went over what he had just said in his mind before looking sheepish. "To harsh?"

"Absolutely! Your Highness, he is young, going through a phase," Hermione stuck up for the teen.

"I don't remember having this much trouble with any of his sisters," the king tried to object.

Raising a brow, if she had one, Hermione shook her head and laughed lightly. "Sire, the prince is a male; you cannot expect them to go through the same things, even if they all grew up in the same room."

The crab did have a handful and as they sat there speaking of the things the older ones had gotten into James could see where his youngest child might come off with such a faze. "Still, I want you to keep an eye on him Hermione," the king ordered, and then he got up and began to leave the throne room.

"Soft shell," Sal hissed.

"Tardy boy," Hermione returned.

"Stink eye."

"Fish lips."

"Backstabber."

"Fashion disaster."

"Bottom feeder!"

"Babysitter!"

Raising an eyebrow James motioned towards the exit. "Dismissed," he suggested.

_"La, la, la, la, la,"_ Harry hummed in his sleep, yawning and turning over, pulling the covers up higher.

He opened his eyes, only to jerk back in surprise to see all six of his sisters gathered around his bed staring at him like he had lost his mind. "What?"

"You were singing," Pansy whispered, "out loud."

He gasped and covered his mouth giggling a bit, "I was?"

They continued to stare at him and he got up, swimming through all of them. "Don't worry about it. It was just a dream."

"I'll tell you what wasn't a dream," Padma stated, coming up beside him, "we woke up at midnight."

"And your bed was still empty," Parvati came up on his other side as she looked in the mirror.

"Really?" he inquired, looking at them through the mirror.

"Yeah, that is two hours past curfew," Luna pointed out.

"Oh."

"Ooh, was it a boy? Uhm...girl?" the blonde suggested.

The male raised an eyebrow at the girl part. Did they really think that he was straight after having grown up in a room full of nothing but gossipy girls and hanging out with nothing but gossipy girls?

"If it's a boy, I'm gonna die," Ginny complained.

"Ugh...drama." Luna muttered.

"I mean, I'm happy for you, Harry," Ginny told him, "It's just that I'm two years older than you, and the only one I've come even close to kissing it Dean."

"Ew! Squid-Lips Dean?" Luna stated.

"It was on a dare," the red head defended herself.

"Whatever."

"Girls, let's stick to the subject," Pansy ordered.

"Well, it wasn't a boy. And if definitely was not a girl, OK?" Harry explained as he moved over to the window, "I was just helping a friend, out past the kelp forest."

"Ooh! Past the kelp forest. It wasn't a boy. It was a bad boy." Parvati said, causing the rest of them to gasp.

"Oh, Harry," Penelope gasped.

"Simmer down there, sister," Parvati told her.

"So, you were just helping a friend?" Pansy inquired.

"Um...yep."

"Then, where'd you get...this!" Pansy asked as she pulled a maraca from behind her back, once again causing the others to gasp.

"Can you imagine what's happen if Dad found it?" Daphne sneered.

"He's never here," Harry defended himself.

"Don't get cute with me," Pansy snarled, "This is serious. Where were you?"

"I was just...listening to music in an underground club," he finally broke down, falling on his bed with a sigh of happiness as he remembered the night before.

"Okay, where were you really?" Pansy asked, arms folded as she looked down at the prince.

They all sat there for a moment and let it sink in before they all started in about listening to music and wanting to know what it was like to do it. He smiled brightly and grabbed Luna's hands, twirling her, even though she was bigger than he would ever be...not to say she was fat, but she was taller than him. Actually, all of his siblings were taller than him.

"It was amazing- the energy, the laughing, and the dancing- just makes you feel like..." he trailed off not sure if he could continue, but at his sisters insistence he finished, "like when mom was here."

The girls took a couple of seconds to understand, to comprehend what they had just been told before they too wanted to hear, wanted to feel like when their mother was still with them, like things used to be. Pansy tried to object, but there was no way she could turn it down.

They entered the club, most of them excited to be there listening to music again, but Pansy and Daphne were scared, nervous about having come here tonight. They did not want to get caught, but the lure of the music was just too much and soon they were out there with their sisters and brother dancing to music, unknown of the dangers hiding in the shadows. The girls had been hanging out for a good while when suddenly the door was broken down by an army of swordfish.

Neville screamed and ink appeared as he flew around to hide everyone from view so that they could not get out. Sadly, two groups were caught- The teens and the band. James came in, taking in the ones who had been rounded up, eyes narrowing on Hermione.

"This is how you watch over my only son?" James growled menacingly.

Hermione tried to explain, but James continued on about trusting her before telling the guards to put them in the dungeons. He ordered Salazar to take over Hermione's position at once and ordered Pansy to take her siblings back home. Harry tried to object, but James jumped down his throat, somehow knowing that the other six being there was his fault.

"You are all confined to the palace," James ordered.

"Yes, Father," the girls whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Why don't you just lock us in jail?" Harry hissed, angry at his father.

"Harry, you are confined to the palace until you understand what you've done wrong."

"What did we do? Tell me, Daddy..." Harry cried.

"Harry, leave it alone," Pansy told her, anger appearing in the older merperson's tone.

Glaring, Harry shoved past her. "NO!" he shouted as he looked up at his father, "We haven't done anything wrong. All we did was listen to music."

"Which you know is forbidden!" James screamed in the teen's face.

"But why?" Harry whispered, "Why can't we have music?"

For a moment it looked like James was going to tell him the answer, but instead he shook his head and straightened. "This discussion is over."

"Just tell me!" Harry pleaded, completely forgetting that his sisters were even still there.

"I do not have to explain myself to you," James hissed, angrier than he had ever been at his son.

"But Father. I don't understand. We love music. Help me understand why it's forbidden," Harry tried, not caring that he was just making his father angrier.

Getting fed up with his son James spun around and raised his triton, face and neck turning red in anger at the boy. "I will not have music in my kingdom!"

All was silent for a moment as Harry held back the tears that threatened to fall. His sisters watched on, scared that he would do something stupid or that he might push their father too far. Finally, he glared at the man he called father and headed towards the exit, but stopped in front of him. He looked the man square in the eye, emerald green to hazel.

"I may not remember much about my mother, but I do know that this is not what she would want for this kingdom. She loved music to much to forbid it no matter what it might have caused or might have done. And one day, when I am king I will bring music back to Atlantica. In memory of her," he whispered, too low for his sisters to hear, but loud enough for James to hear.

This angered the king more than anything and before he knew what he had done his hand had struck out and hit his only son across the face. The boy's head snapped to the side and the cheek that he had just hit quickly started to turn red, covering up the smooth ivory that was there. The girls gasped as they watched, never had they seen their father hit another, much less one of them. This was something that had never thought he would do. Everything was still, nothing moved for fear of what would happen, until Harry's head slowly turned back to look at his father, shock, fear, anger, and so many other emotions warring to dominate his features.

Tears threatened to fall and the pain was almost unbearable because he had never experienced anything like it. A small, ivory colored hand reached up and touched the sensitive cheek before hissing in pain and sending one last glare at the king, who already looked ashamed of his actions. Not saying a word Harry fled from the room, followed by his sisters.


	5. Chapter 4

**The Little Mermaid: Harry's Beginning**

**Chapter Four**

Harry beat all of his sisters back to the room and stopped at his vanity; yeah he is a guy with a vanity, to examine his injured cheek. It hurt and it was already turning a blue-ish black and swelling slightly. He felt tears threaten to escape, but knew that he could not cry because his sisters followed in seconds after he had gotten himself under control. None of them would look at him, until he pushed off and went up behind Pansy, calling her name softly. It seemed like she was going to ignore him, but then she spun around angrily and the younger shrunk back, scared of being hit again.

"You just don't know when to quit," she snapped, in her anger ignoring the fact that he had already gotten his punishment for his ignorance.

He looked to the side, heartbroken that they would just give up like that, like remembering mom was not something they wanted to fight for. His eyes moved to stare at the ground. "We were finally happy," he whimpered, arms wrapping around himself, giving himself the hug that he so desperately needed at that moment, but could get from nowhere else.

"Look around Harry," Pansy snarled, voice barely lower than a shout, "do any of us look happy!"

Dejected he slipped over to the window sill, his spot and curled up, staring out but seeing nothing.

Meanwhile, Salazar was having the time of his life being in charge. Ordering things, singing, laughing, all was well with him.

That night, after all of his sisters had gone to bed, Harry still sat where he had earlier staring out, remembering the looks on his sisters faces, the one on his father's face, the feelings, the music, everything.

_"I remember_," he sang quietly to himself.

After hitting his son, James finally felt the need, the desperation to see the small garden that had at one point in life been beautiful. Now, it was over grown with seaweed and kelp, the statues cracked and dirty, and everything dead. Nothing lived there. He looked up at the statue of his beloved wife, asking her for strength to deal with their wayward, rebellious son, asking for forgiveness for hitting him like he had done and wishing more than anything that she was there with him at that moment.

Harry had sat there, head down, just thinking. Finally, he looked up at the flowers hanging around the outside of the room and gently pulled one down, smelling it, before an idea came to him. He looked at his sisters, sleeping peacefully in their beds before moving swiftly off of the sill and placing the flower on the window. He could not stay there if there was no music. That was the only thing that made this place home and now that he had found it he was not going to give it up.

The band wanted out, they did not care if they had to become fugitives, but Hermione wanted to stop them. She tried the things she could think of before the prince popped into her mind.

"What about Harry? You just going to abandon him? Leave him to deal with all that we tangled him up in? You think that small, weak, innocent, helpless little boy can do anything by himself?" Hermione ranted, trying to convince them to stay, until she heard a lock being broken and there was that small, weak, innocent, helpless little boy holding open the door to freedom with a bruise on his small cheek.

"Let's go," he whispered urgently.

"If we run away from Atlantica it will break your father's heart," Hermione told him.

The teen turned his head, bruise facing the band, Hermione, and Ron. "I don't think he'll really care," the teen muttered, glaring at the ground as he remembered how he had gotten his bruised cheek.

His words worried Hermione and she moved forward, worry clear on her face. "Harry," she called gaining his attention, "how...did you get that bruise?"

Smiling sadly, he stared down at the little crab and reached up, lightly touching his hurt cheek. "I finally pushed him to his breaking point," the dark haired child whispered, a tear escaping and rolling down his uninjured cheek.

Hermione made coo-ing noises as she swam up to be level with the teen, while the band and Ron all gasped at the fact that the king had hit one of his children. "Ooh, Harry, you should have known that one day you were going to push him to far," the crab said sadly.

Glaring at her, Harry moved back, still holding the door open. "Come on, we've got to go."

"No," Hermione snapped, grabbing the door and jerking it closed, "if we leave then we'll never be able to come back."

"I'm leaving with or without you."

Their argument continued for a few seconds before Harry pulled out the big guns...so to speak. "Look Hermione, without music this place just isn't home."

The band started making sounds of agreement while Hermione just looked at him, knowing that the merchild was right, if only about that. She sighed and began to pace thinking about where they might go before the perfect place popped into her mind. "I know just where to go!" she shouted before getting slammed against the wall as the band hurried out of the cell.

Later that morning, Severus went to wake up the children to get them ready for their daily walk with their father when he noticed something...one of them was missing. Upon closer inspection he realized that _the prince was missing!_ Forgetting about waking the girls he rushed out, he had to tell Salazar before the king found out.

Meanwhile, the new fugitives were on their way to...well they really had no idea where they were going. Ron was being rather loud, scatting and just dancing and making noises to his own beat. It worried the others because they did not want to get caught right after they had gotten away. Seamus tried telling him to calm down, as did the rest of them, until Ron said something that none of them had thought about. Out in the open like this, they were free to do what they pleased. There would be no going to jail if you made music, no getting in trouble for it. They could do as they pleased and slowly, they each began joining in on the small fish's beat.

_"Sha-na-na, na, na, na, ne,"_ Harry and Denis harmonized, _"Na, na, na, na, na, na."_

They were soon joined by everyone in a song that they all knew.

_"Shake, shake, shake, Senora_

_Shake your body line_

_**Shake your body line**_

_Shake, shake, shake, Senora_

_Shake it all the time_

_**Shake it all the time**_

_Work, work, work, Senora_

_Work your body line_

_**Work your body line**_

_Work, work, work, Senora_

_Work it all the time"_

They sang, sometimes taking it upon themselves to repeat a line of the song on their own. As they sat down to rest, Ron took it upon himself to continue the singing

_**"Let's break it down**_

_**Jump-J-J-Jump in the line**_

_**Rock your body on time"**_

"There he goes," Gregory stated as all of them sat down, listening to Ron sing.

**"J-J-Jump in the line"**

"He's groovin'!" Neville exclaimed as they watched the kid dance around as if he had all the energy in the world.

"Let me try it now," Seamus whispered to Denis as he moved from his spot to hang next to Ron.

_"Jump-J-J-Jump in the line_

_Rock your body on time_

_**We're in**_

_Jump-J-J-Jump_

_J-J-Jump Jump_

Whoo!

_Jump in the line_

_**Hit it**_

_Jump in the line_

_Rock your body in time"_

"I dig this freedom!" Neville shouted through the singing.

_"Jump in the line_

_Rock your body in time"_

"Try and stop me!" one of the stated.

_"Jump in the line_

_Rock your body in time_

_Jump in the line_

_Rock your body in time"_

Back at the palace the new chief of staff was bragging about how production was up twenty percent...or something like that. King James had tuned him out a while ago because his voice was starting to get on his nerves. He seated himself on his throne, thinking about what he had done to his son the day before and how he had tossed one of his most loyal subjects in prison.

"Maybe I was too hard on them," he thought out loud, which of course brought Salazar's attention to him and the man started talking again. Did he ever shut up?

The king was brought out of his thoughts by his eldest daughter entering. "Daddy!" Pansy called, worry etched into her face as she stopped before the man, "Harry's missing."

Salazar was having a nice little chat with Severus about something or other; he really could not bring himself to care at the moment. "Bring me Hermione," the king ordered, to which Severus remarked that the crab was gone as well. Moving over to his oldest child the king cupped her chin and looked her in the eye. "I will find him," he promised.

"Guards! Search every inch of the palace, search every inch of Atlantica. Find my son!"

Out somewhere in the ocean, the band and the others were getting tired of swimming. Ronald had taken up asking if 'they were there yet' every couple of seconds and Hermione was just responding with 'no.' Finally, Ron asked again and got a yes, but when they looked in front of them all they saw was wide open space and some rocks and sand.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" Seamus asked.

"Yes."

"Are you s...?" Harry started to ask, but Hermione screamed yes before he could finish.

The band decided that it would do for now, they could find somewhere else to go tomorrow. They all hunkered down for the night in their respective places before allowing sleep to catch up to them.

Salazar was not happy that he had been ignored like that in favor of a stupid prince and his little pet crab. At the current moment he was arguing with Severus about getting the key from around the man's neck. When he would go one way, Severus would go the other, trying to appease the older merman without actually giving him the key. Finally, Sal got the key by ways that none of us wish to think about and released his pet eels.

"What about Harry?" Severus tried to reason.

Salazar stopped for a moment and thought before his eyes lit up. "You're right that little brat would tattle. Better get rid of him too." And with those words he sent the electric eels after them.

Harry awoke confused about why he was on the ground, until the day before came back to him. He pushed himself up, using his hands to keep his torso off the ground as he looked around. Everyone was still sleeping, but there was something shinning a little ways off. Curiously, he moved over to Hermione, trying to get her to go with him to find out what it was, but all he got was a 'go look yourself' before the crab turned and went back to sleep. Shrugging it off, the prince made his way over to a place that looked as if it were full of mirrors, it was a beautiful place. Moving further inside he looked around until his eyes spotted what he had seen before coming here.

Frowning, he picked it up and turned it back and forth. It was just a simple, round baby blue and pink colored box with silver trimming and engravings. The teen opened it up and watched with wide eyes as a small figure of his parents appeared, dancing in circles, and the song from his dreams echoed through the small area. He slid down the wall, fin pulled up and eyes locked on the box.

"It was an anniversary present," Hermione's voice brought him out of his trance and he looked up, emerald green eyes locking on the female crab, "your father had that made for your mother. Queen Lily was more than just your father's wife, you know? She was his best friend."

Harry stared out at something only he could see as images began to assault him.

_Flashback_

_He and his sisters were seated up on the ledges, watching as their parents danced, soft smiles on their faces as they stared into each other's eye__,__ all of them outside, dancing around in a huge circle, holding hands and smiling and laughing._

"The family together," he whispered in the present.

_He was sitting at a piano, learning to play it. He was lightly biting his tongue, which was stuck out of his mouth as he concentrated on playing each note. His mother and father on the other side of the piano, smiling softly as they watch him._

"Music all the time."

_Harry sitting on King James lap, his small hand bandaged from an accident, and his mother sitting on the armrest, looking at him...no looking at both of them with love shinning in her eye and his father kissing his injured hand to make it feel better._

"The palace always echoing with laughter," Hermione put in.

_Pansy and Harry hid behind the pillars of the doorway as their mother hid a bit away. King James could hear the giggling of the two and looked around, trying to spot him, but he did not until too late. The two of them and Lily jumped on his back, laughing as they did so. Smiles making their faces and eyes glow._

_His mother, the day she died, sitting on a rock with his father. The music box sitting open behind her as the two of them looked at each other._

_Then the pirates came and attacked, he had been a bit away from his sisters so when their father grabbed them and took off under the water, he was left behind looking around to make sure everyone was gone, making his way over to his mother. Fear was written across her face and in her eyes, reflected in his own eyes and face. "Mommy," he cried as the woman wrapped ivory colored arms around him and pulled him close, "Mommy, what's going on?" he asked as the ship got closer to where they were hiding._

_The woman did not answer instead she kissed him gently on the forehead before shoving him away and taking off, towards the ship. "Mommy!" he screamed as he was suddenly pulled under the water, his head meeting one of the rocks rather sharply and all was dark._

_End Flashback_

'When your mother died, the whole kingdom was heartbroken," Hermione whispered as she reached over to the music box, "The heart that never healed was your father's."

Harry was silent for a moment before looking up at her, determination shining brightly. "I've got to take this back to him. He's forgotten how to be happy and this could remind him. Remind him of the happy times..." he trailed off realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"This is why music is forbidden and why he got so angry when I..." the teen looked away, ashamed that he had said such things to his father.

When they told their plan to the band, the guys talked about it before coming to the decision that there was no way they were going to chance getting thrown back in prison on the off chance that the king just got angry. Harry could understand that and if he had been in their positions he would have chosen the same thing.

The three (Harry, Hermione, and Ron) set out on a mission to get back to the castle. What they had not counted on was Salazar appearing with a group of electric eels, ready to kill them before he ever let that happen. He sent the eels after the three and Hermione quickly told them to go and the chase was on.

Around the rocks, through some caves, over the side of a small cliff, up the other side, Hermione stopping to knock over some rocks while they keep going, hide behind this rock and keep silent. The eels pass and they're almost in the clear, NO! Ron hiccupped and the chase was on once more. Into the cave...nowhere to go. Hunker down on the ground and cry, close your eyes and it'll be quick. Suddenly, they're no longer in the cave instead Neville has gotten them out.

The others knock over some more rocks and cover the exit. Hermione's still in trouble. Follow Ron back to the crab. Don't drop the music box, too late. Hurry down and catch it right quick, on no! There's an eel. Ron to the rescue. Ron hits the eel, egging it to chase him and away they go, Ron screaming at the top of his lungs. Salazar has been taken out of the picture. Look! There comes Ron and Hermione! They could help. Looking around quickly Harry screams, "RON DO THE CORKSCREW!"

A couple of seconds later and they are safe. Everyone celebrates the ending of that fight. Not too far away, not that any of them can see it, King James is heading there way. Turning around, Harry can see Salazar heading straight towards Hermione. His eyes widen and he shoots off, screaming for the girl to look out. The small body interferes with Salazar's plan and they both go flying off the edge of a steep cliff.

Harry's head banged against the thing that Salazar was stuck in and everything has goes black.

King James and the others watched in horror as the prince flew off the cliff with Salazar. It seemed as if it all went in slow motion for them. The small, ivory and emerald green body turning as it fell, the music box clutched tightly to the small chest, dark hair twisting around him, head falling forward. And then on the ground, the dark hair spilt out behind him, small body curled up as if sleeping. The king flew over the edge, hurrying down to his son, sorrow written on his face as he bent next to him.

The bruised cheek facing the world, making the king even sadder to see it mare his son's beautiful face. The bigger male picked up the small body, the prince's arms falling limp and allowing the music box to roll away. Hazel eyes watched it as it came to a stop and opened, the sounds of his wife's song filling the air.

"What have I done?" he asked softly, his eyes moving to look at Hermione, who cast a look at the music box before looking back at the king, _"Endless sky...Waves try to measure The days that we treasure."_


	6. Chapter 5

**The Little Mermaid: Harry's Beginning**

**Chapter Four**

The small head turned slightly, emerald eyes opening just enough to be seen before blinking and opening a little wider, head turning to look up and surprise showing to see who was holding him. "Daddy?" he whispered, almost afraid of the answer.

"I'm so sorry I didn't listen," the man tried to apologize.

"Daddy!" the fourteen year old screamed, arms wrapping around his father's neck in a hug, "let's go home."

_"So, Harry came back home and life went on just the same as before. Well, things weren't exactly the same,"_ the voice giggled.

"Rise and shine," King James called as he pushed the colored seaweed apart to enter his children's room, "it's a beautiful day."

The girls looked up, smiles on their faces as they hurried out of bed, hugging him. Harry moved a bit slower, knowing that his sisters were still a bit upset with him about before and still unsure about his father's sudden change in attitude. He joined the hug, but was the first one to move back from it.

They dressed and moved to the throne room where the citizens of Atlantica were waiting. "To my children and to the citizens of Atlantica; I hereby decree that music will once again ring clear from one end of my kingdom to the other!"

Everyone cheered and at that moment Harry knew that everything would be alright now. Things would go back to normal and they could be a happy family once more.

"Therefore, I hereby announce Atlantica's first official Court Composer," the king gestured to Hermione as the crowd once again went wild, screaming and cheering.

Smiling, the crab stepped up and bowed. "Not that we don't trust you, Your Majesty, but Colin, hit it, mon."

"Raise your right hand, fin, claw, tentacle, or whatever the case maybe," he waited, "Very good. Do you promise to jump, jive, wail, groove, rock steady and at all times lend a helping hand to your fellow music lovers?"

Blinking the king raised an eyebrow. "Uh...I do?"

The crowd went wild once more before someone began to sing.

_"My love is higher than the sky"_

"Yoo-hoo!" the two women from so long ago called, smiling and waving, to which the king returned.

_"Deeper than the ocean_

_Warmer than the sun"_

As the singing continued, Pansy and one of the citizens came over and lift Harry up cheering that they were now able to freely sing whenever they wished to.

_"Shining down on me"_

Luna was pulled over to the band, letting out a surprised gasp, as she was handed a horn of her very own. Smiling she took it and played up the scale quickly.

_"Quiet as a prayer"_

"A girl in the band?" Ron inquired.

"That's right."

_"All my love_

_I will sing_

_Of joy and glory_

_I will sing _

_The look in your eyes"_

Ginny tapped Dean on the shoulder, causing the older boy to look, and when he turned around she quickly pressed her lips to his. When she pulled back the boy looked dazed, but happy.

_"I will sing_

_Till all the world knows your story_

_I will sing_

_For the rest of my life"_

The king smiled as he saw everyone so happy for the first time in over a decade. He slowly removed himself from the room and returned to the garden, music box in hand. Looking up at the statue of him and his wife he smiled once more before sitting the music box down and allowing it to open. Then, it was as if this whole time that place had been waiting for the music box to come there for everything turned green and colorful once more. Harry came up behind the man, calling gently to get his attention.

"How about a dance?" the small teen asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied, taking his son's hand and spinning him around like a girl. They did not get to dance much before Penelope came out to Conga.

_"For the rest of my life"_

_"So, that is how a king and a prince brought a family back together. And after ten years love and music finally returned to the kingdom of Atlantica."_

_"I will sing for the rest of my life"_

**What happened to Salazar?**

Salazar was sent to prison- obviously he had attempted to murder the prince and a very close friend of the prince's. What? Did you expect him to get off scotch free? Or maybe thought he had died? Sadly, none of the above happened. Nope. He went to prison. Where, he was receiving counseling every day…from Severus. Yeah, probably could have gotten him a better one of those, but hey who cares? He's never going to get out.

"Let's think about what we've learned," Severus lectured, "You just can't hurt people. Hurting is mean. We don't want to be mean, do we?"

Salazar just pulled out a hankie and blew his nose. He was miserable and after having to put up with this every day he was never going to be happy. Plus, the clothing that they made him wear just did not go along with the rest of him. It was black and white and striped. He looked weird. He looked up at Severus in hopes that he would leave it be, but saw that he was giving him _a look_.

"Maybe you're right," Sal agreed, reluctantly.

"That's my boy," Sev chuckled, pinching the older man's cheek.

"Samba?" Sev inquired as he got up and began to samba.

After watching for a couple of minutes Sal shrugged and began to dance as well. Hey it was better than being counseled about being mean.

"Ooh-wa! Ooh-wa!"

_**The End**_


End file.
